A Mutual Offense
by Heartsky
Summary: Why did Twilight Sparkle insist that Tirek let Discord go? What was running through her head that made her attitude toward the despised draconequus change so much? (One-Shot)


**Hi everyone! So anyway, the other day I was thinking about the season 4 finale and once again I began to wonder what on earth happened to Twilight that made her attitude toward Discord suddenly change so much. Where'd that come from?! She had _very _little tolerance toward him _before_ he betrayed them; why did she stick up for him _after _he betrayed them? Anyway, I kind of came up with an idea of what might have been running through her head as she insisted Tirek let Discord go, and this one-shot came about!**

**I apologize if it this seems a little ranty, I couldn't help including some of my personal opinions in this; but anyway, I hope it might help make Twilight's attitude change make a little more sense.**

**Oh, and in other news, I do plan on updating _Twilight Shimmerings_ very soon, so don't worry, I haven't forgotten about it!**

**I do not own My Little Pony.  
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"I will give you my magic in exchange for my friends."

Those words sealed the deal. Tirek was going to get all of the Alicorn magic in Equestria. It was a sickening thought, and Twilight Sparkle didn't know how Equestria would survive, but she couldn't defeat Tirek; she had given it her all and neither of them had been able to gain an advantage over the other.

But at least she could free her friends. They meant everything to her. Maybe, with them by her side, they could find some way to defeat Tirek.

"As you wish," Tirek responded. He snapped his fingers, and they were free.

The bubbles that Twilight Sparkle's friends were encased in popped and each of the ponies fell to the ground, letting out grunts upon impact. Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity all lay coughing in the dust, shaken but unhurt.

Twilight Sparkle couldn't help sighing in relief. All of them had been freed.

Well..._almost_ all of them. Twilight nervously eyed the draconequus still floating in his own bubble above their heads. Tirek hadn't released him, which meant Twilight had to make a choice: speak up and insist that Discord was released as well, or leave Discord with Tirek.

Gosh, how she wanted to leave him behind. She hated him so much for betraying them. Honestly, they should have known this would happen. He was always heckling everypony all the time and trying to disturb the peace when they weren't looking.

She thought back to when she and her friends had been looking for the Tree of Harmony and she had turned back to stay safe, knowing that Equestria couldn't risk losing her. Luna and Celestia were missing, if anything happened to Twilight, Equestria would have no ruler. Discord had somehow cajoled her into going back into the Everfree Forest, knowing full well how much danger she would be in. He had probably _hoped_ that she would get hurt.

But then again...she had actually ended up being very glad she went back. Her friends had needed her, and she couldn't have lived with herself if she had abandoned them to keep herself safe. Discord...had been right.

An almost unthinkable possibility entered her mind: maybe Discord _had_ been trying to help. Maybe he had been giving her _advice_, in his own weird way.

Twilight shook her head. No. That was ridiculous. He lived simply to get on ponies nerves; that's all he had been trying to do.

And when he had intruded on Cadence's visit to Ponyville? He had been beyond obnoxious. Heck, he had _faked illness_ in some stupid bid for attention. So self-centered, tricking her into working her tail off to find a cure he didn't really need! And then he had gone on and on about how he just wanted to be sure that they were _friends._ Of all the ridiculous, selfish, stupid-

Suddenly, Twilight felt her throat constrict. At the time, it had seemed like Discord was just trying to get under her skin, but looking back on it, she couldn't deny that it was possible that the reason he had done what he had done was because he was _lonely._

After all, sometimes ponies acted out when they were lonely, didn't they?

Sweetie Belle had lashed out when she felt under-appreciated. She had sabotaged a headdress Rarity had made for a famous singer, which could very well have ruined Rarity's career if Sweetie hadn't realized her mistake and fixed it. Yes, Rarity had been quite angry, but she had forgiven her sister in the long run.

And Luna...she had messed up _big time_ when she felt she hadn't been getting enough attention. But they had all forgiven _her._

They had never really forgiven Discord, though. Yes, they called him their "friend", but it didn't take a genius to know they were lying.

Friends didn't groan and roll their eyes every time they saw you.

Friends didn't glare at you every time you spoke.

And friends certainly didn't strive to keep you from being yourself.

Twilight cringed as she realized that that was essentially what she and the others were asking Discord to do. Asking the Lord of Chaos to refrain from causing _any _chaos would be like asking Twilight to never read another book again. It would be taking away part of who she was.

Who could blame him for turning on such lousy excuses for friends?

Perhaps Fluttershy had been the exception, but even _her_ friendship had been tainted: she had been their means of controlling Discord; getting up in his face if he put a toe out of line. Honestly, they may as well have put a leash on him and pulled him around like a dog.

Twilight hated to admit it, but she was beginning to understand Discord.

Perhaps this whole fiasco was just a horrid misunderstanding between them and Discord. Perhaps he had genuinely been trying to befriend them, but he went about it in such strange ways that they misinterpreted it.

Twilight sighed as she looked up at him, floating above them his little bubble: his whole body drooping, his eyes glistening, and his mouth pulled into an uncharacteristic frown. He was pathetic.

Yes, he had wronged them, and Twilight certainly expected an apology from him. But they had treated him poorly and done a pretty lousy job of showing him friendship. She owed him an apology as well.

Twilight snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Tirek squarely, suddenly coming to a decision. "Let a_ll _of my friends go, Tirek."

As Tirek balked at her decision to call Discord her _friend_, Twilight felt herself waver a bit. Discord had given them no reason to trust him. He had told them he had reformed once and turned his back on them; what was to stop him from doing it again?

But then she remembered something Fluttershy had told her once: "Sometimes, you have to take a leap of faith first. The trust part comes later."

They could not expect Discord to truly be a friend to them if they couldn't properly show him how friends treated each other. They would have to lead by example, and hope that he would follow.

And judging by how completely mournful he looked right now, that hope was not unfounded.

Twilight stared hard at Tirek, resolute in her decision. This time, she would show Discord what friendship really was. This time she would get it right.

"Release him!"


End file.
